Rockstar Games Presents: Table Tennis

Rockstar Games isn't exactly a publisher renowned for its family-friendly titles - the Grand Theft Auto series has become a staple of the industry, and the bane of many a concerned parent. In what seems like an almost ironic twist to the Rockstar story, they've released Table Tennis for the Xbox 360 to little hoopla from cranky old anti-gamers such as Jack Thompson and the like, who are too busy devouring some humble pie to speak against the evils of Ping Pong.

Table Tennis is a realistic simulation of the sport that is the domain of the deft of hand and nimble of wrist, and faithfully recreates the physical nuances of a surprisingly complex pass-time with its R.A.G.E engine, a robust and capable backbone that is also featured in the upcoming Grand Theft Auto 4. Using analog flicks, turbo shots, backspins and all manner of trickery and maneuver, you'll be delighted at the depth and accuracy of the control scheme and how your motions are rendered in-game.

The game displays some impressive visuals - cloth physics that fold and furl with movement, highly detailed character models - although this is to be expected when encountering a game with such limited scope. The major contention that cripples this game is the lack of meat; the content is minimal, with only a handful of players to choose from and a supremely truncated single-player mode. There is simply not enough to occupy oneself with for more than a few hours, unless you really, REALLY enjoy the core gameplay mechanic. Xbox Live play and unlockable achievements add some limited longevity.

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